by Amy Sumida
I had spoken to Reyne and asked him to keep his people safe in their villages. The trained, Trinity knights would help us defend the temple; making up for any trauma that they unknowingly inflicted earlier. Then—in addition to the Shining One knights we had coming in—Odin brought in several Witches, including Vivian. Gage called in a cadre of Griffins, and Banning brought his Blooders. Lastly, Freya called upon the Norse Gods.
But not all of them answered her summons.
“Those slimy motherfuckers!” Freya raged as she stomped into the Trinity meeting chambers that we had made into our war room.
“What happened?” Odin asked.
“Freya asked the Norse Gods to help us defend Tír na nÓg against Mimir,” Cerberus explained.
“And?” Odin growled the word.
“Hel is missing,” Freya declared.
“How can Hell be missing?” Banning asked in confusion.
“The goddess, not the place,” I explained. “One L instead of two. Though, the Norse Hel is a place too.”
“There's a fucking goddess named Hel?” Banning's eyes went wide. “I bet she's a delight.”
“She's a goddess who is the daughter of a giant,” Odin said grimly.
“The Giants,” Vivian whispered. “We thought Mimir wanted the world for the Norse Gods, but the only one he asked to join him was Hel.”
“Which means that Mimir wants Tír na nÓg for the Jotun.” Odin nodded. “Of course. Again, I am blinded by our past friendship. Mimir has never appeared to be loyal to the Giants, but that was apparently another deception.”
“Not only is Mimir loyal to them, but they're loyal to him,” Freya reported. “I had Loki talk to Angrboda.”
“Who's Angrboda?” I asked.
“Loki's Jotun ex-wife,” Freya said.
“The mother of Fenrir, Jormungandr, and Hel,” Odin added. Then he looked at Freya. “What did Angrboda say?”
“That the Giants had been treated as sub-class Gods for far too long and they deserved a world befitting prime deities.”
“Prime deities,” Odin huffed. “What does that even mean?”
“It means that all of the tribes of Jotun are sending warriors to Primeval to support Mimir,” Freya said.
“All of them?” Vivian asked in horror.
“Even the Eldjotnar?” Ilis asked with twinkling eyes.
“The Eldjotnar, the Hrimpursar, and the Bergrisar have all joined Mimir's cause,” Freya said.
I looked at Odin askance.
“The Fire, Frost, and Mountain Giants,” Odin translated.
“Fuck me,” I whispered.
“And Hel,” Freya added. “Let's not forget who Hel could bring with her.”
“Garm.” Cerberus started to smile. “Speaking as a hellhound, I'm looking forward to facing that dog on the battlefield.”
“Not just Garm,” Freya corrected him, “Nidhoggr; the Magic Striker.”
“The Magic Striker?” Declan asked.
“A dragon,” Calex clarified with a smile. “Though I've heard he's more serpent than Drachen.”
“He's a corpse-eating monster,” Freya snarled. “Not anything like the Drachen or Ryū. And I'm sure he'll relish the chance to dine on fresh meat.”
“Disgusting,” Ilis sniffed.
“At least Fenrir and Jormungandr are remaining neutral,” Freya said. “They won't oppose their family, but they won't help them either.”
“That's a relief,” Odin said.
“We can't let them take the temple.” I pounded the table. “We need to get as many soldiers here as possible to defend Primeval's heart.”
“I will return to Drach and ask out brethren to help,” Calex offered.
“Thank you, Cal,” I said sincerely.
“They'll jump at the chance to see this monstrous version of our race.” Cal smiled. “There's no need to thank me.”
And then he disappeared.
“The good news is,” Freya went on as if a Drachen hadn't just used a diamond to leap through space, “I was able to get several Gods to assist us.”
“Including Thor,” Cerberus grumbled.
“Cer, we need all the help we can get,” I said.
“I know,” Cer huffed. “But if he comes onto Freya, I'm punching him in the face and feeding him to the corpse-eater.”
Chapter Fifty-One
The dragons started arriving that very night. With all of the other soldiers we had, things were getting cramped in the Amber Temple. We had to assign several people to a room; like a barracks, which was what the temple had become.
I could feel the heart of Primeval pulsing below us. Now that I'd been made aware of it and had connected to it, being in close proximity with it was like being near a large slab of kyanite; I could feel its magic. And its fear.
Primeval knew what was coming for it, and it was afraid.
Mimir had already convinced the Trinity to cast blood magic over the heart of Primeval. When you said those words aloud, it really drove home how manipulative the Norse God was. He had tricked fairies who were the elite of their kind—the smartest, strongest, and most spiritual—to harm the forest and the people they'd vowed to protect. It boggled the mind.
Primeval knew what its enemy was capable of, and it knew why I had returned—to protect it once more. Ignorance is bliss, and so, conversely, knowledge is frightening. I knew that I couldn't free the forest to fight again; the battle against the Trinity had taken a lot out of Primeval. Uprooting trees was hard enough on them, but these trees had to break off from the heart of the forest, and that had been traumatic. So, they knew that they would be helpless in this war.
I stood on the shores of the Sgàthan Sea with my eyes closed; face lifted to the moonlight, and senses stretched out to the golden heart below me. Every breath of salty air helped to calm me, but every heartbeat brought the forest's anxiety to bear. I tried to comfort it; sending it images of the forces we were gathering; all of the people who cared for it and Tír na nÓg. But fear doesn't respond well to reason.
Primeval shivered around me; leaves rustling and wood creaking as if a stiff wind stirred. The earth trembled very slightly—just a light vibration—but it set me on edge. The forest was ancient and strong, with ways of communicating with its inhabitants. These signals that I felt, were also felt by the creatures of the forest—not the fairies, but the animals—and they were digging deep into their burrows and caves; finding safe places to ride out whatever storm Primeval was warning them of.
“All will be well,” I promised Primeval. “I will not abandon you.”
“Who are you speaking to?” Calex asked as he stepped up beside me.
“Primeval.” I opened my eyes and turned to him. “The forest is afraid.”
“I don't blame it,” Calex said grimly. “How are you? Are you afraid?”
“A little,” I admitted. “I'm deeply tied to this planet and these people now. If I fail, it will destroy me.”
“Elaria,” Calex said with calm severity, “the only way you'll fail is if you are destroyed.”
“That's strangely reassuring.” I grinned.
“It is?” His brows lifted and the moonlight caught his eyes. They glimmered softly like sea glass for a moment.
“At least I won't have to live with the guilt of failing an entire world,” I explained.
“We will not fail, Elaria,” Calex declared confidently. “You have Drachen with you now.”
“You sound like Gage talking about his Griffins,” I murmured affectionately.
“Griffins are strong warriors as well,” Calex grudgingly admitted. “But nothing compares to a Drachen. We rule both sky and earth.”
“What about the sea?” I lifted a brow.
“I'll leave the sea to you and your Sirens,” he said softly.
“Sirens,” I whispered as my eyes went wide.
“What?” He asked.
“I need to call my family.” I started to smile. “Thank you for reminding me that I'm more tha
n what I've become.”
“Your past forms you,” Calex said gently. “Don't ever forget it.”
“I try not to,” I promised. “And I haven't forgotten you, Cal. You must know how much you meant to me.”
“I do,” he said softly. “But that only makes it worse.”
“I'm sorry for not loving you more than my freedom.” I sighed. “But that's the last time you'll hear me apologize, Calex. We were over a long time ago, and you need to move on.”
Calex nodded crisply, and I left him at the seashore; heading inside to contact my family. Not the Sirens, but the Spellsingers.
“If that bastard is going to bring his heavy hitters, then I will too,” I declared as I entered the war room.
“What?” Torin looked up from a map of Primeval he was studying with the rest of my consorts, Cerberus, Freya Odin, Vivian, and Sala—the female, redcap leader of the Trinity soldiers.
“I've got one more group to assemble,” I said to the war generals. “It's small, but it's powerful.”
“Yes!” Cerberus punched his fist into the air. “You're calling the Spellsingers, aren't you? We're going to see a Spellsinger concert!”
“You're damn straight I am.” I smiled viciously. “Desperate times.”
“Call for Spellsingers,” Odin agreed uneasily. “I just hope that Primeval can survive your relatives, Elaria.”
“Which relatives?” My father asked as he strode into the room with my mother. “The best ones are already here.”
“Dad? Mom?” I gaped at them. “Who the fuck called you?”
“Elaria—language!” My mother hissed.
“Sorry, Mom,” I muttered.
“Odin called us,” Robert Scorcher—my father and also a fire Witch—said. “And I'm furious that you didn't think to do so yourself, Elaria.”
“Dad, I didn't want you and Mom in danger,” I whined. “I got this covered.”
My consorts were watching our exchange avidly. They'd all met my parents before, but they'd yet to see me steamrolled by them.
“You do not have this covered if you're thinking of inviting who I think you're thinking of inviting,” Kalliope Tanager—my mother and a Siren—announced as she spread her black wings dramatically.
“What?” I blinked in bafflement.
“Are you bringing in the Spellsingers?” My father translated.
“Yes,” I said firmly.
“Elaria,” my mother said in her chiding tone.
“Mom; Mimir has an army of Norse Giants,” I said. “All of them. And Hel.”
“Even the Frost Giants?” My father shivered.
“Yes,” Ilis said in commiseration.
“But we saw thousands of soldiers in the temple,” Kalliope said. “Surely, you have enough warriors to face the Jotun?”
“Odin?” My father asked.
“I'm just not certain, Robert,” Odin said gravely. “I think that we'll be fine, but it would be nice to have that kind of magic on our side.”
“Fuck,” my father growled.
“Robert!” Kalliope chided.
“Sorry,” my dad muttered in the same manner I had. “But, Kalli, if Odin wants them here, it's bad.”
“I can contact them,” my mother offered.
She knew there had been some tension between the Spellsingers and me, back when I had rescued the Sirens from Thomas Frost. They were mad that I hadn't included them in the rescue mission; the Sirens were their family—some of the kidnapped had even been their mothers.
“Mom; I can do it,” I said with more confidence. “I owe them a fight. I think they'll be open to the idea.”
“Well, you can contact them right here then,” she said primly. “If they give you any trouble, I'll step in.”
“Thanks, Mom, but I have to go home to call them,” I reminded her. “They don't have contact charms.”
“Son of a bitch!” Kalliope snarled.
My father and I widened our eyes at her.
“Oh, shut up!” Mom said, even though we hadn't spoken.
“I'll go with you,” Gage offered. “Your house in Hawaii?”
“Yeah.” I took his hand. “We'll just be a few minutes,” I said to the others.
Gage and I jumped over to Earth before anyone could stop us. Yeah, it was a little chickenshit, but I didn't want to waste any time arguing. I knew that we needed the Spellsingers. The Griffins and Drachen were amazing warriors, the Shining Ones and the Witches were powerful magic users, and the Blooders and Gods were our wild cards. It was a damn powerful army, but I needed us to be unbeatable, and that meant we needed Spellsingers. I had won a Shining One war once, but it had been with the help of the Witch Relic. Now, I needed the help of my family.
Gage and I reformed in my kitchen, and—just as I'd suspected he'd do—Gage went straight to the refrigerator.
“I knew it!” I pointed at him as he rooted through the food. “You only wanted to come along to raid my fridge.”
“That wasn't my only reason.” Gage grinned unrepentantly. “I wanted to watch your back too.”
“You gonna do that as you make yourself a sandwich?”
“Maybe.”
“Typical,” I teased him as I headed for the phone.
“Hey!” He called after me. “I am not typical.”
“Uh-huh,” I muttered as I dialed my Aunt Adelaid's number.
Aunt Addie was the most infamous Spellsinger there was. She was also my favorite. Maybe she was a touch psychotic, but aren't we all?
“Elaria?” Adelaid sounded surprised. “What's wrong?”
“I need your help, Aunty,” I said immediately. Adelaid liked it when you got right to the point. “The Norse God Mimir is bringing an army of Giants to the Primeval forest in Tír na nÓg. He's trying to gain control of a temple which lies over the heart of Primeval so that he can cast a spell to reform the planet and give him dominion over it.”
“I'm astounded that I understood all of that,” her tone turned amused. “So, you want me to go to Tír na nÓg with you and battle Giants?”
“Yes,” I said. “There will be Shining Ones, Griffins, Blooders, Witches, Norse Gods, and Drachen in our army. But I need to be sure we can stop them, Aunty Addie. If we lose, Tír na nÓg will be destroyed.”
“Do you want me to call the others?” She went serious.
“I'd appreciate it if you did.”
“We're with you, my darling,” Adelaid said gently. “Where shall we meet?”
“At my home in Hawaii,” I said. “I'll be waiting for you.”
“All right.”
“And, Aunt Addie?”
“Yes?”
“I love you. Thank you for helping us.”
“I love you too, sweet girl. I'll see you soon.”
I hung up and went back into the kitchen. My relieved smile must have said it all.
“They're coming?” Gage stated more than asked.
I nodded.
“Well, that wasn't timed as well as I'd planned,” Mimir muttered just before he grabbed me.
Neither Gage nor I had time to react. I was standing in my kitchen one moment and then on the prow of a ship the next. While I was still coming to terms with what had happened, Mimir bound me in chains. I was frantically searching my mind for a song to break the chains as he lifted me. There are plenty of breaking chain songs, aren't there? But I couldn't come up with a single one, nor was I able to think of something to attack Mimir with. Why not? Because seconds after he had me bound, he tossed me overboard.
Now, you may be thinking to yourself that this wasn't so bad; that as an immortal Spellsinger, I may drown, but I should revive, right? No; not right. Let me explain my brand of immortality to you. First of all; Spellsingers are physically on the same level as your average human. We have normal strength and senses. The only special thing about us is our spellsinging. I suppose it's Nature's way of evening the playing field. Whatever the case, I had gained some strength and some abilities from the Witch Relic. So
far that included my connection to Kyanite and an ability to throw my voice. So, even if someone gagged me, I could still sing.
That was great, but as far as immortality went; I only lived until someone, or something, killed me. I could drown. Which would be ironic, considering my love for the sea. Drowning had never been something I worried about. I swam like a fish, so the thought of me drowning had never occurred to me. Now, it was occurring—like literally.
I had minutes to get focused and save myself. At least I could hold my breath for long periods. But I was descending rapidly through freezing water, and the fire Witch in me hated to be cold. Normally, I just dealt with a chilly ocean, but faced with my potential demise, the chill was a dangerous distraction.
I pushed my fears aside and focused. I could still sing. The water was working as a gag, but I could throw my voice and use the liquid as an amplifier instead. It didn't matter if anyone heard my song; only that it be sung. Now, I just had to find a song to help... me... escape. Escape! That was it.
As soon as I called on Kyanite, he knew where I was and what was happening. It freaked the stone out a bit. He'd just discovered that his last queen had been murdered, and now I was nearly there myself. But I mentally calmed him and got him to project the music for “The Sweet Escape” by Gwen Stefani. I didn't need him to play it for me, but it calmed me and helped to focus my spell. It even gave me hope; its cheery tambourine leading into a lighthearted beat. Okay, maybe the message wasn't all that positive; a woman trying to make up for all the pain she'd caused her lover and rekindle their love. But she was trying to escape her mistakes, and I suppose I was too.
I sang in my mind, and my magic projected it out into the ocean around me. Like sonar, the song vibrated through the water and strummed out brightly. The opening lines were just what I needed, and within moments, the chains had opened, and I was kicking my way to the surface as they continued to plummet without me. I gasped for air and felt Kyanite shimmer through me in relief.